The great thing about applesauce is that it can be SO easy to make and you can season it anyway you want. My mom and I worked on a batch of applesauce last week. The late October apples that I chose for this batch are: Staymen, Rome, Albemarle Pippin, Granny Smith, and some leftovers from earlier in the month. We cook our applesauce in a crockpot, which is great if you want to leave the kitchen and do other things while food cooks.

Here is an illustrated applesauce recipe:

Homemade Applesauce

What you need:
Lots of apples, mix in some tart/crisp-tasting ones for bold flavor
Just a little bit of water
Knife to cut and peel (peeling is optional)
Crockpot
Optional: Sugar & cinnamon

Step 1: Gather the apples! And wash them.

Step 2: Cut into quarters and start peeling.

Step 3: Chop up to reduce cooking time.

Step 4: Fill that crockpot all the way up because apples cook down.

Step 5: Add a little bit of water. Heat and occasionally stir for several hours until it is applesauce consistency. We used the low temperature setting to prevent burning.

Step 6: Add sugar & cinnamon to taste. Enjoy hot or cold!

See? That was easy. Homemade applesauce can have so much more flavor than store bought applesauce… and you know exactly what you are eating. I highly recommend using locally grown apples when possible. You will be supporting a local business and it is likely that you will be getting better apples than what the supermarket has (think wax-free and fresh off the tree!).